We had the good fortune of connecting with yilong zhang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi yilong, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
You can’t do anything cool without embarrassing yourself first. This is what I learned from street dancing and skateboarding even before I started pursuing music. The risk of failing in front of everyone is always there. When you are starting out, you are going to feel bad when people despite your poor skills. But you power through and get better. If there’s something you really want to achieve, and the frustration of not pursuing it is a worse feeling than the fear of failing, it is a no-brainer.

I feel the same way about making career choices too; it’s always a risk no matter which way I choose. I either run the risk of doing what I love and not making an ideal living or run the risk of taking the ‘safe option’ and regretting not pursuing my dream in my later years. For me, the second one is definitely scarier. On top of that, taking the ‘safe option’ doesn’t necessarily mean I am guaranteed to end up where I was expecting .

Therefore, I believe there is no running away from risk, only taking the one that’s worth it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I tend to create breakup songs or tender love songs, mostly within the pop or R&B genres. I exist to make music and content that resonates with people experiencing loneliness or intense emotions in life. What sets me apart? Probably a lot of failed relationships, haha. As a very empathic person, I am able to understand what a lot of people are going through, making my music relatable.

Turning feelings into musical ideas and bringing artistic visions to life are what excite me the most. As a former street dancer, I always dreamed of creating my own music. Unlike many artists who started playing music at a young age, I was clueless about music until my college years when I began learning music production on my own. I was teaching myself by listening to songs hundreds of times, trying to identify every sonic element and recreate them as closely as possible. It took me a very long time to work up the courage to decide I wanted to pursue music, and a lot of hard work to get good enough for a good music school.

It was difficult in that sense. But in another way, it is the easiest thing I have ever done. Because I am doing what I love, I am just automatically motivated all the time. Even though I face frustration and self-consciousness all the time, it’s impossible for me to not keep going.

An important thing I learned along the way is that “Presentation is half of the art”. As a creator, it is easy to get obsessed and not see the bigger picture. Taking a step back and thinking about how the final product is going to be presented and what purpose it serves can save so much headache.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend is visiting Miami, Key Biscayne is a must. Take a drive from Brickell to Crandon beach, there are amazing views and beautiful beaches along the way. You can stop anywhere you want and it is not as crowded as south beach.

My suggestions are probably more valid in asian foods, here are some really good asian food spots!
Taste 107
Hi-pot
Pho79
Ginza Japanese buffet
Shinju Japanese buffet

Aside from those
Chalan on the beach
and El Chalan
are really good!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Man, I am thankful to so many people. My time at Frost School of Music has helped me a ton. I was clueless when I got in, then I met a lot of great musicians, and they showed me the way. I wouldn’t be able to go from writing songs in my bedroom to producing a whole EP without my friends: Diego Clavijo, Jason Raiser, Jacob Holmes, Kara Brusven, Mint Shang, Amy Yu, and Michael Melnik!
These people showed me the way into the professional world, worked on my projects, and played on my songs. Most importantly, they supported me and encouraged me along the way. As a reader, you probably don’t care who those people are, but thank you for giving me a chance to thank them! 🙂

Website: yilonmusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yilooong/

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